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Cutdown, Last Laugh, and Ratface…

Cutdown - Always Intact"Always Intact" is the latest from Helsinki, Finland's Cutdown on Musta Maija Records, doing what Finland does best: Pissed off, no bullshit metallic hardcore with loads of chugging midpaced breakdowns and absolutely sick vocals that definitely lend some texture and aggression to the tracks. I've said it many times before and I'm sure I'll say it many more before I'm through, but Finland has the absolute best scene in the world for this form of no nonsense, 90's styled metallic hardcore, and I can't get enough of it. These bands are certainly not rewriting the book on this stuff, but they write consistently powerful songs, and in this particular case Cutdown is sounding tighter and more cohesive than ever, straight down to the crisp guitar tone and pulsing basslines of the improved recording quality. 10 tracks, 28 minutes, all solid. That's all there is to it, really...

Cutdown "No Apologies"
Cutdown "Strike You Down"

Get It

This one may only be available from the band and the label, so hit 'em up on MySpace to check on the ordering information if this is your thing.






Last Laugh - Dead SeriousAlso from Helsinki, Finland and Musta Maija Records is "Dead Serious", the newest from Last Laugh, whose style remains more rooted in traditional hardcore than some of their Finnish contemporaries. Expect more of their short, fast, in your face material with plenty of bitter, sarcastic lyrical content delivered in tracks like "Soy Does Not Taste Like Meat" and "Kicked Out of MySpace", among numerous others. As with Cutdown above, this album sees Last Laugh benefiting from a much stronger set of production values, which makes a hell of a difference in the overall impact of their relatively straightforward old school hardcore with a sense of humor. They tear through 19 tracks in just under 20 minutes and definitely leave me wanting more this time around, so I'll be looking forward to observing their continued progression on the next one, too.

Last Laugh "Just Being Honest"
Last Laugh "Soy Does Not Taste Like Meat"

Get It

Same deal here. Contact the band and the label on MySpace for ordering information.






Ratface - Demon DayzAnd one more out of Finland, this time released by Fast Rock Factory, I believe "Demon Dayz" is the debut EP from Ratface. The whole "'z' is the new 's'" thing alongside song titles like "From da Streetz" and "Bringa of Beatz, Raiser of Downz" would most definitely lead one to expect some E.Town Concrete level hip-hop influences, but that's actually not the case at all, as there are barely any such vocal characteristics present throughout the disc, and the vast majority of the material is the same brand of tight, breakdown-laden metallic hardcore I've come to expect from the mighty Finnish scene. These cats also toss in a good balance of thrashing speed to counterbalance all of the chugging midpaced power chords, and once more the vocals possess a unique texture that definitely adds to their take on this niche of hardcore. At just 11 minutes long I'm certainly left curious as to where Ratface will go next, so hopefully a full-length's on deck...

Ratface "Bringa of Beatz, Raiser of Downz"

Get It

Aaaaaand again... contact the band and the label on MySpace to see about getting your hands on one of these jams.

Comments

  1. Oh yeah man now we’re talking! Cutdown’s has to be one of the best records come out this year and Ratface is also tight as hell. Everyone should dig into this shit definitely.

    You can order all these records & their merch here (it’s in English):
    Tulipyora Shop

    9.7.2007 | By markusxKTL

  2. Have you heard Deathbed yet? They’ve got a bit more of a crusty/d-beat vibe, but they definitely bring the brutal mosh.

    9.7.2007 | By Avi

  3. Fuck yes. Great shit. The Ratface is amazing but too damn short ;) Good to see you back on track, now I just need to pull myself together…

    9.7.2007 | By xBenx

  4. Really? I guess I’m alone in thinking these are just terrible. Last Laugh is especially poor. Sometimes generic is fine…but this stuff just sucks.

    Deathbed? The bed that eats people?

    9.7.2007 | By Chris

  5. Got the Ratface CD yesterday, still need to get that Cutdown CD. Damn solid stuff! So much quality stuff coming out of Finland. Another new band that is topnotch is No One Is Safe. And for more melodic stuff Endstand, Manifesto Jukebox, Satura Lanx, etc… Great bands up there.

    9.8.2007 | By Edwin

  6. Deathbed: http://www.myspace.com/killedbybed

    Satura Lanx will play their final show on Sept 22 at the Lighthouse Project record release

    9.8.2007 | By Avi

  7. Cutdown was easily the best of that bunch.  That guitar tone kills.  Great stuff.

    9.8.2007 | By Johnny

  8. whoa! those riffs on cutdown’s “strike you down” (eg. at 01:00) are lifted directly from born from pain’s “stainless” (01:35). i nerdily checked it out. killer shit nonetheless.

    9.20.2007 | By chris

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